Back when the U.S. government was formed, the balde (yes, with an e) eagle became the national bird, disappointing Ben Franklin.
Franklin, in a letter to his daughter, complained that the eagle was “of bad moral character,” a “poor and often very lousy” hunter and “a rank coward.” He preferred the wild turkey, “a much more respectable bird … of courage.”
Every bird has a story, some of which are told at birding festivals. Bird-watchers migrate from festival to festival, join tours, listen to lectures and perhaps spot new species for their life lists.
Port Susan Snow Goose &Birding Festival: Feb. 28 and March 1, Stanwood, www.snowgoosefest.org. Snow geese are the stars, but other species can be seen. Children’s activities and guided tours are part of the package. Presenters include Whidbey Island bird-book authors Craig and Joy Johnson, who will speak on hummingbirds.
Olympic Peninsula BirdFest. April 3 to 5, Sequim, www.olympicbirdfest.org. Options include presentations on raptors and nature photography, half-day and full-day field trips, and boat trips to Protection and San Juan islands.
Othello Sandhill Crane Festival: March 20 to 22, Othello area, www.othellosandhillcranefestival.org. Be sure to check the Web site in the next week or so for tours; many fill up fast.
Brant Wildlife Festival: March 6 to April 26, Parksville, Qualicum Beach, Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, www.brantfestival.bc.ca. At peak times, as many as 20,000 brants stop on the B.C. island shoreline.
Wings over Water Northwest Birding Festival: April 18, Blaine, www.blainechamber.com/wow. Visit viewing stations, take a cruise and field trips to Lake Terrell wildlife area; children can take classes, including an owls and owl pellets presentation for kindergarten through sixth-grade students.
Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival: April 24 to 26, www.shorebirdfestival.com. Expect field trips, lectures, a fun fair, speakers, shorebird viewing and a birder’s bazaar, all celebrating the hundreds of thousands of birds who feed and rest here on their way to the Arctic.
Leavenworth Bird Festival: May 14 to 17, www.leavenworthspringbirdfest.com. This festival features the return of neotropical migratory birds that breed and fledge in the Wenatchee Valley after flying in from Mexico and other countries.
Meadowlark Festival: May 14 to 18, Penticton, B.C., www.meadowlarkfestival.bc.ca. More than 90 wildlife- and bird-related events are held in the grasslands and sagebrush of the southern interior and Canada’s only desert.
Puget Sound Bird Fest: Sept. 12 and 13, Edmonds, www.pugetsoundbirdfest.com. The Web site asks: Where else can you go out on the water and see 800 western grebes in the morning, spend the afternoon listening to great speakers and finish the day watching 10,000 Vaux’s swifts fly into a brick chimney for the night in Monroe?
Ridgefield BirdFest &Bluegrass: Oct. 10 and 11, Ridgefield, www.ridgefieldfriends.org. It’s a chance to spot sandhill cranes and owls, take a kayak tour or guided walk, and listen to bluegrass music.
BIRD BATH: Not everyone agrees with Ben Franklin’s take on eagles, including Janet Strick.
“While driving on East Camano I saw my first-ever eagle taking a bath. I noticed a large volume of water spray in the air and, as I passed by, an eagle was taking a bath in a very large puddle. It was quite a sight to see. …
“We now have many swans on the north end of Camano Island. I would estimate at least 100 of them on a daily basis on one particular farm. This is the first year we have seen this number. I get a huge thrill whenever I see such sights,” Strick said.
“Both Stan and I have commented that we have never seen as many eagles as this past year. When we are driving from our home on the island to Stanwood we almost always see at least two and often more.”
Columnist Sharon Wootton can be reached at 360-468-3964 or 360-468-3964.
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